Setup cannot copy the file CMNICFG.XML

When installing Windows XP you get the message "Setup cannot copy the file CMNICFG.XML"

Cause of the Problem:

This usually happens when a repair or re-installation of Windows is attempted over an existing installation.

Most commonly this happens when trying to reinstall Windows XP onto a system that was running Windows Vista.

The permissions in the Windows and Windows/System32 directory do not allow the setup application to copy files.

Advertisement:

Resolution/Fix:

The easiest solution is to simply install Windows XP to another directory besides "Windows" such as "WindowsXP".

Another possibility is to boot up off the Windows XP CD and go into recovery mode. There you can rename the existing "Windows" directory to something else such as "OldWindows". After doing this you can boot up with the CD again and install Windows XP normally.